The present invention relates to safety razors with blades units arranged to be capable of pivoting movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the cutting edges of the blade(s). The pivoting motion allows the blade unit to more easily follow the skin contours so that the exact angle at which the handle is held relative to the skin is less critical to achieving a good shaving performance and efficiency. Razors with pivotal blade units have been successfully marketed for many years. The traditional pivot axis, which usually extends parallel to the cutting edges of the blades, can be defined by a pivot structure by means of which the handle is connected to the blade unit. Alternatively the blade unit may include an attachment member to which a frame or housing incorporating the blade or blades and other skin contacting parts is pivotally connected. A blade unit of this form described in WO 97/37819, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, has an attachment member in the general form of a yoke with a hub for engagement with the upper end of the handle and a pair of oppositely directed arms provided with pivot journals at their ends for engagement in sockets provided at the ends of the frame. Retention clips are applied around the respective ends of the frame to maintain the pivot journals within the sockets.
A razor having a blade unit mounted for pivotal movement about a single axis substantially parallel to the blade edges has been proposed. The blade unit is biased to a rest position by a magnetic return force generated by magnets. The pivotal movement about the single axis substantially parallel to the blade edges provides some degree of conformance with the skin allowing the blade unit to more easily follow the skin contours during shaving. However, the blade unit often disengages from the skin during shaving as it has limited ability to pivot about a single axis.
The present invention addresses this drawback by employing a magnetic return force about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the blade edges allowing for improved conformance of the blade unit with the users skin during shaving.